Seed cards and seed tenders are well-known in the agricultural industry for transporting seed and grain to and from the field. There are two primary styles of seed carts and seed tenders, both of which have a container for seeds. A bulk seed tender typically includes a trailer with a framework for supporting one or more bulk seed boxes or bags. The bulk seed boxes/bags are filled by the seed supplier, mounted on the trailer frame, and transported to the field to fill seed planters in the Spring. A seed cart includes a trailer or wheeled frame with a larger seed hopper supported by legs on the trailer or frame. While the bulk seed boxes/bags are not typically used in the Fall for harvest, a seed cart with the hopper can be used in the Spring to fill planters with seed, and it can be used in the Fall to receive seed from a combine.
Both the bulk seed box or bag and the seed cart hopper have seed outlets in communication with a chute to direct the seed into a conveyor, which carries the seed to a planter or carries the harvested grain for discharge into a truck or other container. The conveyors are either a belt-type conveyor or an auger-type conveyor.
The belt or auger conveyor has an inlet end positioned beneath the seed container and is inclined upwardly to an outlet for discharging the seed into planters, trucks, or other carriers. The lower end of the conveyor is typically pivotally mounted on a plate so that the conveyor can be rotated up to 180° to position the conveyor outlet at a desired location. The conventional prior art structure for permitting such rotation of the conveyor has a limited number of preset positions in which the conveyor can be locked. For example, a rotational plate may have a plurality of holes into which a pin drops to fix the conveyor in the set position. However, for improved accuracy, it would be beneficial to be able to position the conveyor anywhere along the rotational arc, without limitation to preset angular positions.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a seed cart or tender having a rotatable conveyor which is infinitely adjustable along a 180° rotational path.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a seed cart or tender which rotates the conveyor using a spindle and brake assembly to permit the conveyor to be positioned in an infinite number of positions between 0° and 180°.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a rotatable conveyor on a seed cart or tender which can be locked in any position along a 180° arc without limitation to preset positions.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a seed cart and seed tender having a rotatable conveyor which is economical to manufacturer, and durable and safe in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.